Crime Reduction Policies
A Co-ordinated Approach?, Interim Report on the Government's Transforming Rehabilitation Programme, Twelfth Report of Session 2013-14, Report, Together with Formal Minutes Relating to the Report
Description:... This report spells out concerns raised about gaps in information and in implementation plans for the Government's proposed reform of probation services. The Transforming Rehabilitation proposals, which would see probation services opened up to private and third sector providers and the introduction of payment incentives for reducing re-offending, will radically change the probation system. The programme's aim to use expected savings from the delivery of existing probation services to provide post-release supervision to short-sentenced prisoners was generally welcomed. Up until now the most prolific offenders - who receive repeated, short sentences - have received no statutory support. Nevertheless, any gains made in reducing reoffending must not come at the expense of the supervision of offenders on other sentences, and must not diminish the value of community sentences. Witnesses to the inquiry had major concerns about the scale, architecture, detail and consequences of the reforms- much of which has not been tested-and the pace at which the Government is seeking to implement them. They identified a particular risk in the Government's decision to split the delivery of probation services between a public National Probation Service dealing with the highest-risk offenders and the new providers who will be dealing with low and medium risk offenders. At this stage, with the plans already beginning to come into effect, it is for the Government to look carefully at the areas where either risk or a need for clarification has been identified
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